Never Ending Chiron - Discussion

Mellian · March 24, 2003, 23:19

Welcome to the Never Ending Chiron discussions thread

-Mellian

Auric Boil · March 30, 2003, 01:01

Hi Mellian,

I would like to ask something:

If I choose a faction, am I supposed to play using the leader personality (like a RPG I would be a military agressive Santiago and focus on that style) or can I "customize" this personality the way I like (and then the leader turn itself into a kind of avatar, that simply represents my decisions, and in this case I could play a kind of Morgan that opt for Green Economy and respect planet, etc)...?

Thanks

Mellian · March 30, 2003, 02:15

I don't mind if the leaders your playing have a different personality then one portrayed in the game and intro-story... but to do actions that doesn't really reflect the 'character' of the Faction as an whole pretty much defeats the purpose.

I am trying to focus the Factions as being the main characters, not solely on the leader, like making the Spartans like bunch of sadists evil bastards instead of being honorable paranoid like warriors....but doesn't matter if you play out various characters in the story with their own, different styles.

As for the Morganites going Green....well, they would have to have a bloody good reason to do so...like being neighbours with a superior Gaians or/and Cult factions or being more profitable in general....

-Mellian

GeneralTacticus · March 30, 2003, 04:59

Well, like I said before - I'm in, though still deciding what faction to take.

Auric Boil · March 30, 2003, 10:50

Thanks, its clear now! The next question is... May I take part on this game? Your purpose is very interesting. Theres another thread here (BAC), is Never Ending Chiron more or less like BAC? I´ll read that post to have an idea.

Mellian · March 30, 2003, 14:09

I for one will play the U.N. Peacekeepers.

BAC is general a space base story long after Chiron was first colonized, but NEC will be back to the basics, back on Chiron, 20 to 50 years after planetfall.

another difference is having structure...which i am working on and posting what i have so far in the Datalinks thread.... and that i want to make this more like fudge style Interactive History, with diplomacy...but also have room to write out the story.

BAC as the problem of lack of structure, and having the vulnerability of powergaming and being uber....a long with arguments during military or whatever actions tha effects other factions, other players society. soo, to avoid arguments, will use a structure to keep things balance (which i volunteer to maintain as i know a lot of people don't really want to) and use the randomness of a dice to figure out if an action is successful or not. so any feedback, or questions, would be appreciated.

things i need to know from players before i start NEC:

-use a random map or the default Chiron one?
-what faction will you be playing? keep in mind that SMAX and custom factions will start differently then the SMAC ones
-where will your chosen faction start at?
-players who starts when NEC starts, all you all i agreement with the rules, structure and mechanics posted in the Datalinks? (which i am still working on)
-feedback please

-Mellian

GeneralTacticus · March 31, 2003, 04:45

-use a random map or the default Chiron one?

Default Chiron one, I say.

-what faction will you be playing? keep in mind that SMAX and custom factions will start differently then the SMAC ones

Still need to think about that.

-where will your chosen faction start at?

Ditto.

History Guy · March 31, 2003, 20:31

Hello.

I'd go for Default as well.

As for faction...I am not quite sure yet. Believers, Pirates...those two I have a strange hankering for. Perhaps the Hive...

Auric Boil · March 31, 2003, 23:18

I´m thinking seriously about Miriam.... but as soon as I decide for sure, I´ll let you know (haven´t decided yet)

The rules are ok with me. I dont know this Defalut Chiron map, but its ok for me anyway.

Jey Mellian, why SMACX factions have to start differently than SMAC ones?

Mellian · April 2, 2003, 11:15

The SMAX ones are splinter factions...factions that split off from the main ones, like the SMAX story suggests, but they'll end up have some added start bonuses (mainly in units and techs) to make up for the lesser amount of population and so on.

As for the proginators, they for sure start later like in the game, by 5-10 after planetfall, but they end up naturally having better tech then the human factions from the start, like in the game.

Right now, trying to figure out how the Base stats and resource gathering thing will work...initially thinking of treating each pop unit being treated like Regions in Moo3, where you can designate to focus on certaint stuff like Industry, Mining, Farming, Energy, Psych, Research, and so on....while having bonuses (base in the game) depending on wether they are a Talent, or a normal Worker or a non-revolting Drone. then there is the terrain and how much resources and terraforming potential within a base radious.....

I will be keep the bases and numbers updated, so players don't have to, but not in the mood in completly recreating the base stuff from the game....but the initial idea doesn't keep in mind of the terraforming potential thought, like Farms, Forests, Mines, and so on... hmmm
Or i could simply fudge it like Moo3, and simply give bases general Stats on overall Mining, Farming, and Energy potential

oh and i will use the trade route idea from Civ3....where if bases are connected by road/magtube, they can share resources.... so can have one focus on Industry and the other on Mining....and for Non-Road trading, must use Supply Crawler/Convoys, which i will change the preq to Industrial Base.

-Mellian

Sovereign · April 2, 2003, 13:56

Heya Mellian, whats up?

I'd like to call dibs on the University.

This sounds like an interesting role playing game, so I reckon I'll give it a shot.

GeneralTacticus · April 3, 2003, 03:59

Hmmm... upon reflection, I think I'll go with the Morganites.

History Guy · April 4, 2003, 11:22

It's either Miriam or Yang...though I'm also inclined to go for the former.

Auric Boil · April 4, 2003, 21:16

Its decided, I'll take the Gaians.

History Guy · April 4, 2003, 22:14

Gaians...plenty of room for boils there, old chap.

Still undecided on Believers or Hiverians. I don't know...I'd do the Believers as the Biblical chaps they are...with scripture on their lips at all times, and etc.

Hiverians...well, it's more easy there. Landscapes, oppressive feelings, evil Yang, cackle, cackle, cackle, etc.

I'd like either...I'll see if anyone else wants one of them first.

Mellian · April 8, 2003, 01:29

does anyone know of a good and simple site with unit organization/formation sizes, which provide a good average of numbers of vehicules or soldiers?

-Mellian

Jamski · April 8, 2003, 02:06

No, but I'm interested in taking the Hive. Is this on "go" ?

-Jam

Mellian · April 8, 2003, 13:13

go as in, has it started yet? no, as i still have a few thingas to write up and create the map.

-Mellian

Jamski · April 8, 2003, 16:03

Cool. Very cool. I can wait a mo.

*WoA rubs his hands together in anticipation*

-Jam

Mellian · April 9, 2003, 00:14

Okay, i attached the Map we are going to use, so I suggest each player who is interested and has already chosen a faction pick a starting location, as to where their headquarters will be.

So post your first and second (just incase someone picks the same area) choices here in the Discussion thread.

then, i also suggest thinking about what kind of stuff you want to start with in the year 2120 using the start up resources. Like for example, if you a Recycling Tanks for this base, will cost 400 production points. If you want another base, will cost you like 110 production points for the Colony Pod. Costs are base what is shown in the manual...and keep in mind that the Cost is multiplied by 10...the Industry bonus will be ignored here as it will be used anyway to increase or lower the average resources start up, depending on the faction.

Technology multipliers is 100...so for a level 2 tech, will cost 200 research points to acquire it. Sub-techs thing doesn't count for start up, and reserves for when the game stars.

if you have no manual, or for convenience sake, can go to http://www.firaxis.com/smac/ to figure out costs and so on.

so here is the start up packages for each SMAC faction:

Believers

5 population units (Growth 0)
5000 production points (Industry 0)
400 research points (Research -2, no research until 2110)
100 energy in the treasury (Economy 0)

free colony pod to be used for extra base or not

free Scout Patrol

starting tech: Social Psych

Gaians

5 population units
5000 production points
1000 research points
100 energy in the treasury

free colony pod

free scout patrol

free mind worm (Planet +1)

starting tech: centauri ecology

Hive

6 population points (Growth +1)
6000 production points (Industry +1)
1000 research points
60 energy in the treasury (Economy -2)

free perimeter defence at every base

free colony pod

free scout patrol

starting tech: Doctrine Loyalty

Morganites

5 population points
5000 production points
1000 research points
220 energy points (Economy +1, 100 energy bonus)

free colony pod

free scout patrol

starting tech: Industrial Economics

Peacekeepers (me, but doing it anyway for people to see)

5 population points
5000 production points]
1000 research points
100 energy

free colony pod

free scout patrol

starting tech: Biogenetics

Spartans

5 population points
4000 production points (Industry -1)
1000 research units
100 energy in the treasury

starting morale of units +2 from Regular (Military +2)

free colony pod

free recon rover

starting tech: Doctrine Mobility

University

5 population points
5000 production points
1400 research points (Research +2)
100 energy

free Network Node at every base

+1 bonus tech

free colony pod

free scout patrol

starting tech: Information Networks

GeneralTacticus · April 9, 2003, 05:29

That file doesn't seem to work. (or rather, I have no idea what to open it with)

Jamski · April 9, 2003, 06:01

Oh God this looks complicated. Give us time to get our heads around it please

-Jam

Mellian · April 9, 2003, 10:31

Just the start up thing, ill figure out the rest, don't worry. just tell me want you want, in techs, units, extra base or two base on how population you have, and so on.

each pop unit is = 10 000 people pretty much.

what are you having trouble with...opening the zip file or the scenario file? if scenario, have to open it with Alien Crossfire, sorry

but it is the defaul map as the normal SMAC version, just with some Alien Crossfire stuff to it.

-Mellian

GeneralTacticus · April 10, 2003, 03:10

Ah, I thought it was a map file

That would explain it.

Sovereign · April 11, 2003, 11:12

Ahh... I might have a problem.

On one of my two computers, I have cross-fire installed, but it won't run at all. The computer it's on exceeds the minimum requirements, with 1.5 GHZ processor, 80 GB memory, 128 GB RAM, etc.

My second computer runs crossfire just fine, and is about 1/3 the power and tech as my newer computer.

I'm at college, and I'm using the newer computer, so I won't be able to open up crossfire until I get home in late May.

So if anyone's willing to help me out with opening files or maps or whatever, I'd be very grateful.

Mellian · April 15, 2003, 18:33

Sovereign, got this from another board:

"Try this: open the centauri.ini file in your text editor of choice, find the line "ForceOldVoxelAlgorithm=0", and change the number from 0 to 1. What should happen is that you still get the error message, but you can bypass it by clicking on OK, and the game should run perfectly."

I would try it before posting it, but I am still stuck with a P3 500mhz

-Mellian

Mellian · April 15, 2003, 18:35

I may just make copy and paste into jpg/gif, the posted in the datalinks thread.

will also do my start up package for the Peacekeepers as an example, a long how i will organize the Faction, base and Military informations.

-Mellian

Mellian · April 15, 2003, 22:59

also don't forget to download and install the latest patch too.

-Mellian

Sovereign · April 16, 2003, 14:58

Ok, mellian, I'll give it a try.

If it fails, I'll have to wait until I get home to the computer that can open up Crossfire. It's just 4 more weeks, I believe. So if you guys want to start this game next week or the week after, may I be granted a slight delay until I get home?

I'd like to try this scenario stuff out. It seems like a fun enterprise.